Uterine manipulators are medical instruments that are used for manipulating (e.g., moving or repositioning) a patient's uterus during medical procedures. Such procedures include surgical procedures such as laparoscopic gynecologic surgery, e.g., total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) surgery.
Instruments of this kind often include a proximal portion that remains external to the patient's body during use and a distal portion that is inserted into the patient's body. The proximal portion typically provides for manipulation of the instrument during use. The distal portion often includes a tip that is sized to be inserted into and/or engage a uterus. Generally, the distal portion of the instrument is advanced through the vaginal cavity and into the uterus. With the distal portion inserted within a uterus, the uterus can be manipulated through surgeon or physician controlled movements of the proximal portion. During some surgical procedures, such as total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) surgeries, a colpotomizer cup is attached to a distal end region of a uterine manipulator. The colpotomizer cup is configured to receive a portion of the patient's cervix during the procedure and can be used to assist the surgeon with properly identifying and on occasion incising the apex of the vagina. Following completion of a procedure, the instrument is typically removed from the patient's body via the vaginal cavity.